Chapter 1: A Slow Start
Ugh...what time is it?
Yuffie awoke with a yawn and a stretch as she shook off the lethargy of another horrible night. She knew the reason for her sleepless nights, but she couldn't just quit working for Reno. Jobs were always scarce in Midgar, but even more so now that Rufus Shinra had begun to build the Shinra corporation back up. Eventhough they were trying to harness earth-friendly energy that didn't suck off of the lifestream, Yuffie was still sceptical as to their motives. What if this "new leaf" that Shinra had seemed to have turned over was just a cover for more destructive research and experimentation?
"Yuffie? You awake yet?" came Reno's familiar voice, followed by a knock on her front door.
She shakily got out of bed and pulled on a pair of pants. As she ambled sleepily towards the door, she ran her fingers through her hair to try and smooth it out. Tossing and turning in bed last night, however, proved to have crimped and tangled it in ways that only washing it would fix. She twisted the door knob, allowing the door to give way to Reno's emotioness face. He took a long drag on his cigarette and exhaled slowly, allowing a steady stream of gray smoke to escape past his lips.
"Hey there, rough night?" he asked, noticing the tired and somewhat irritable expression on her face.
All Yuffie could manage to utter in response was an incoherent grumble. She allowed him entry into her apartment and started to make her way back to her room to begin her moring rituals.
"Do you have coffee?" he called to her from the kitchen.
"Pantry," she replied grumpily.
"What about-"
"The kahlua's in the cupboard above the sink," she interjected.
"Hon, you know me too well," he chucked as he flipped the switch on the coffee maker.
Yuffie, returning several moments later awake and dressed, re-entered the room and sat on a stool next to Reno. She glanced over the side of his coffee cup and saw that there was still half a glass left. She quickly stole the mug and took a long drink.
"You'll need that with the schedule we've got today, there've been more livestock mutilations on the outskirts of Nibelheim. Rufus wants us to go check it out. Rude and Elena are busy on some other subject, so it's just gonna be us this time, kiddo. Could be nothing big, maybe a rogue fiend or two, but you never know. You up for it?" Reno said shooting a half-cocked smile in her direction.
"Yeah I'm ready! Let's go kick some fiend butt!" she said triumphantly.
"Ya know, I wouldn't give the time of day to most girls if they made comments like that," he said with a smile, as he extended his arm and grasped Yuffie's angular chin in hand, "but you're special..."
Yuffie blushed a little and wrenched herself free from Reno's long, slender fingers.
"Haven't we had this conversation before?" she muttered distantly.
Reno took another puff and rolled the cigarette over in his fingers, shaking the cinders free and allowing them to float down into the ashtray below.
"I suppose...but we never seem to resolve the issue," he replied, a whiff of smoke escaping with his words.
"C'mon Reno, just drop it. Those fiends aren't gonna wait for us," she said, grabbing her bag and hurrying out the door.
Reno stared after her but remained motionless for a moment. Realizing that he wasn't following her, Yuffie made a quick about face and grabbed his thin wrist firmly in her hand, pulling him to his feet. She was prepared to drag him all the way to his car, but he only slightly resisted which made the process easier. She turned to give him a mock scowl and noticed he was smiling. She stopped short.
"What?" she asked suspisciously.
"Nothing," he said with a chuckle, "I just like it when you're forceful."
She immediately released his wrist and stomped away.
"When you have your composure and self-control in check, I'll be waiting in the car," she called irritatedly over her shoulder.